British Olympian Okoye signs with 49ers

April 27, 2013|Reuters

The Sports Xchange

British Olympian Okoye signs with 49ers

Lawrence Okoye's bizarre journey to the NFL will make its first official stop with the San Francisco 49ers.

The British Olympian who decided to take a stab at a professional football career only a few months ago, announced on Twitter following the end of the NFL Draft on Saturday that he has agreed to a contract with the 49ers.

Okoye finished 12th in the discus in the London Olympics last summer, and signed up for a regional draft combine in Atlanta, where he had moved to train in warmer weather.

Okoye vaulted up draft boards in recent weeks despite having never played a down of football, but ultimately went undrafted. He landed in a good spot with the 49ers, who have a loaded roster and spent several of their 11 draft picks on boom-or-bust type prospects.

San Francisco spent a second-round pick on Florida State defensive end Cornellius (Tank) Carradine, who is coming off knee surgery, and a fourth-rounder on running back Marcus Lattimore, who is trying to return from a gruesome knee injury last season.

They also snagged a few big "projects," including South Florida quarterback B.J. Daniels in the seventh round and Oyoke in free agency.

"I am blessed with abilities and I want to make the best of them," Okoye told NFLDraftScout.com last week. "I have this opportunity to play football now, so I will address it now. There is time for the discus. There is time for college and the law. I have many goals and only one life. I want to pursue my goals, my dreams."